Las Cruces man, 26, killed by deputy was 'in a bad place'

The 26-year-old Las Cruces man killed by a sheriff's deputy June 19 reported "he was in a bad place” just before the pursuit and shooting that resulted in his death, said Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart.

Stewart, in a June 21 news conference, said Michael Christopher Goodheart called the dispatch center to report he was driving drunk in the City of Las Cruces at 11:34 p.m.

Goodheart was initially pursued by a Mesilla Marshals officer who reported losing Goodheart's white Dodge Durango near Young Park. He was then spotted by a deputy around 11:55 p.m. near Lohmann and Valley. The chase ended near Shalem Colony, with Goodheart reaching speeds of 70 mph, according to Stewart.

Minutes later, Stewart said, the deputy reported shots fired and that Goodheart was wounded. A second deputy arrived shortly after, Stewart said. The name of the deputy who killed Goodheart was not released to the media.

A video clip from the deputy's lapel camera played during the press conference shows Goodheart's vehicle stopped at a remote location before he gets out holding a handgun in his right hand.

Stewart said a series of three stills from the lapel video showed Goodheart fired at least twice, aiming the weapon at the deputy. Stewart said the deputy's vehicle was struck by at least one bullet.

Goodheart was intermittently conversing with a dispatcher while being pursued. It was during this conversation that he said, according to Stewart, "Tell my family I love them," before pulling his vehicle into an area near the river where he was forced to stop due to a locked gate.

During the conversation with the dispatcher, Stewart said Goodheart reported he had been drinking for several hours. It is unclear if Goodheart informed the dispatcher that he was armed with a weapon. The Sun-News requested a copy of the dispatch call by Goodheart via an Inspection of Public Records Act request.

It was also unclear how many times Goodheart was hit by return fire from the deputy. He was administered medical help at the scene and transported to MountainView Hospital where he died around 1:02 a.m.

The incident is being investigated by the Officer Involved Shooting Task Force.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Las Cruces man killed by Doña Ana deputy reported being in crisis